What is a residential instructor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
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There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a residential instructor. For example, did you know that they make an average of $14.28 an hour? That's $29,695 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 12% and produce 52,400 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreResidential InstructorUS Average
Salary
2.3

Avg. Salary $29,695

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
8.4

Growth Rate 12%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.81%

Asian 7.34%

Black or African American 12.81%

Hispanic or Latino 12.97%

Unknown 5.43%

White 60.65%

Gender

female 70.23%

male 29.77%

Age - 21
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 21
Stress Level
8.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
6.4

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.4

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Residential Instructor career paths

Key steps to become a residential instructor

  1. Explore residential instructor education requirements

    Most common residential instructor degrees

    Bachelor's

    48.9 %

    Associate

    17.4 %

    High School Diploma

    17.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific residential instructor skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Direct Care10.25%
    Autism6.91%
    Data Collection6.75%
    Developmental Disabilities6.37%
    Direct Supervision5.61%
  3. Complete relevant residential instructor training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New residential instructors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a residential instructor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real residential instructor resumes.
  4. Research residential instructor duties and responsibilities

    • Engage, educate and empower participants to access community base resources in order to achieve greater self-determination, rehabilitation and recovery.
    • Participate in monthly ISP meetings regarding status and progress of each individual consumer.
    • Complete daily ADL s with clients per POC provide by behaviorists, therapists, etc.
    • Assist clients with all ADL's (activities of daily living), as needed while promoting independence.
  5. Prepare your residential instructor resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your residential instructor resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a residential instructor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Residential Instructor Resume templates

    Build a professional Residential Instructor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Residential Instructor resume.
    Residential Instructor Resume
    Residential Instructor Resume
    Residential Instructor Resume
    Residential Instructor Resume
    Residential Instructor Resume
    Residential Instructor Resume
    Residential Instructor Resume
    Residential Instructor Resume
    Residential Instructor Resume
  6. Apply for residential instructor jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a residential instructor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Residential Instructor Job

Zippi

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Average residential instructor salary

The average Residential Instructor salary in the United States is $29,695 per year or $14 per hour. Residential instructor salaries range between $22,000 and $39,000 per year.

Average Residential Instructor Salary
$29,695 Yearly
$14.28 hourly

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How do residential instructors rate their job?

-/5

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Residential Instructor reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Cons

I do not like the schedule .


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

To help most people out of their respective concern.

Cons

I don't like people perishing, especially the teenagers.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Cons

The scheduling can change at anytime. There are always shortage of workers to cover shifts especially overnight shifts. You can get stuck on a shift any given day. The people you work with has more issues than the people you are hired for to take care of. They can be lazy!!!


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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